Improvement in striking mechanisms of clocks



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E. CLARK. 'Stniking Mechanisms of Clocks. N0.-l58,165 Patented000.29,]874.

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THE GFAPHKI CD.PHOTO'LlTH-39& 4| PARK PLACE, N.Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn EDWIN CLARK, OF LA OROSSE, WVISGONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN STRIKING MECHANISMS OF CLOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,165, dated December29, 1874; application filed January 21, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN CLARK, of La Grosse, in the county of LaCrosse, W'isconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inClocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and correctdescription of the same, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of my improvedclockanovement, the framework being partly cut away to show the partsbeneath. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the striking mechanism, and Fig. 8is a vertical section from front to rear, showing the relative positionof the several parts.

The same part is marked by the same letter of reference wherever itoccurs.

My invention consists in improvements in the construction and mode ofoperation of the striking mechanism of a clock.

In the accompanying drawings, A marks the frame-work, which supports thevarious parts. 13 is the mainspring, which is wound around the mainspindle O, the front edge of which is squared for the reception of thekey. The spindle O is the center onwhich the hands turn. I) is the maindriving-wheel, fixed on shaft 0 so as to turn with it in one directiononly, and giving motion to an ordinary train of gearing connected withthe minutchand, and with the common clock-escapement wheel E, verge andpallets D, and pendulum A all of which are constructed and operate inthe usual manner, and do not require further description. To the frontface of wheel D is attached a collar or sleeve, E, which extends forwardthrough the face A of the clock, and has the hour-hand F attached to it.Thus, one revolution of the wheel I) carries the hourhand once aroundthe face of the clock. G is an outer collar, concentric with collar E,and carrying the minute-hand H. This collar is attached to the frontface of wheel I, the movements of which are produced and controlled bythe train of gearing from D, before referred to, and by the pendulum andescapement in the usual way, so that the minutehand shall make twelverevolutions while the hour-hand makes one. The striking moveincntiscontrolled by a pin, 12,011 the collar G, which coincides in positionwith that of the minute-hand, and always points in the same direction asthat hand. When the pin is at the highest point, which is when theminute-hand points to XII, it lifts a bent lever, J, to the in ner endof which is attached a hook, h, which engages with pins a, on the faceof the strikin g -wheel K, and arrests or releases that wheel. hen thelever J is raised by the pin 19, the hook h is disengaged from one ofthe pins or, and the striking-wheel is permitted to turn until the nextpin on its face comes into contact with hook h.

The striking movement is fully illustrated in Fig. 2. The wheel K isformed like an escapement-wheel, and is driven by its own spring L,independently of the mainspring of the clock. M is the shaft of wheel K,on which is the ratchet-wheel N with its pawl P, actu ated by the springI), to control the recoil of the spring L in the ordinary way. A vergeand pallets, Q, engage with the teeth of wheel K. From the shaft It ofverge Q a bent pin, S,projects upward and engages with apin, T,connected with the shaft U of a balanced pendulum, V, having the weightsWV and W attached at its ends, as shown. The vibrations of this balancedpendulum regulate the movement of wheel K. Pins (0 a a, &c., are placedin the face of wheel K, which engage with a hook, h, attached to bentlever J, as before described. This hook is disengaged each hour at theproper moment, to produce the required striking motions. The striking isproduced by the operation of the teeth of wheel K upon a hook or dog, X,attached to the shaft of the rod Y, at the end of which is the hammer Z,which strikes the bell B". A spiral spring, 0, winds around this shaft,and keeps the hook X engaged with the teeth of K, except when thrown outby the movement of that wheel. The wheel K makes a revolution once intwelve hours. It moves only while the hook it is dis engaged from thepins a, and causes the hammer to strike once, as each of its teeth isreleased by the pallets of the verge at each vibration of the balancedpendulum, and passes and throws off the hook X.

The peculiar features of my improved clock which distinguish it fromothers, are found in the position of the mainspring in the center of themechanism 5 its being wound around the main spindle; in the Winding ofthe clock in ranged on its face, as described, in combinathe center ofthe dial by a stem concentric with the axis of the main wheel D; in thepeculiar method of operating the hands, and in the striking beingeffected by a single wheel.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The striking-wheel K, driven by the independent spring, and regulated bytheindependent pendulum V, and having the pins (0 artion with the hookh, bent lever J, pin p, and sleeve G of the minute-hand H, allconstructed, arranged, and operating as specified.

The above specification of my said invention signed and witnessed at LaCrosse, this 13th day of January, A. D. 1874.

EDWIN CLARK.

Witnesses:

J AMES I. LYNDES, WM. S. BURROUGHS.

